Here's the One Trick to Getting Your Lip Gloss to Stay Put

At Max Mara's fall show this morning, makeup artist Tom Pecheux sent the models down the runway in a variety of rich, glossy lip colors. We saw shades of bright crimson, deep cherry, and even a few vampy plums, all drawn on so perfectly, they looked as if they'd been stamped on. And even with the high-shine topcoat, there was no bleeding, spreading, or smearing of the pigment beyond the lip line thanks to one of Pecheux's little tricks.

Pecheux started by filling in the lips with M.A.C. Retro Matte Liquid Lipstick in either Dance With Me, Lady Be Good, Feel So Grand, or High Drama, choosing the shade based on what would look best and what the model preferred ("I asked them what they liked and then made suggestions on what I thought they should try," said Pecheux). To ensure a perfect shape and clean edges, Pecheux used a brush rather than the doe-foot applicator, then let the opaque formula dry and set for a couple of minutes.

Speaking of edges, when applying the final layer of clear gloss, Pecheux painted it onto the lips without bringing it all the way to the perimeter of the mouth. "You don't want to bring the gloss all the way to the lip line, especially along the bottom lip; you need to leave a little bit of room for it to spread out," he explained. Giving the gloss room to move ensures it won't slip past the lip line, at least until you decide to eat something. "You don't want to go biting into an apple or anything," laughed Pecheux. "As long as you have a straw you're fine."